Care at Home Services (South East) Limited – Eastbourne, Hailsham and the Weald

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The manager made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.Care provision provided to people was person centred, putting the individual at the centre of decision making and choices about the way they were supported. Care plans reflected the person-centred approach, describing first what people could do for themselves, promoting their independence first before moving on to describe the areas where support were needed. People and their loved ones were involved in care planning and reviews. They all were given opportunities to influence the care plans to suit individual needs. Comments included, “Yes, we have a folder and they write notes on the app (mobile telephone application) and I have access so I can see what has been done” and “Everything is done on the phone and I have access to the plan. I`m involved in the care and they do everything asked.” People’s likes, dislikes and preferred routines were documented within care plans.

The manager understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. People told us that they had support from the same small group of 4 to 6 care staff so people got to know their support team well. Staff were able to identify changes in people, the way they presented or if they were feeling unwell or in need of any additional professional support. Staff were trained to support people’s particular needs for example, those living with diabetes or anxiety. The staffing team worked well with other professionals, calling in support when needed for example, to help manage and dress pressure sores, the district nursing team were called in. People who needed support with their mobility were supported by the occupational therapy team. People were given choices in the timings and frequency of their care calls and were able to choose between male or female carers.

The manager supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. People and their relatives told us that communication between them and the manager and wider staffing team worked well. Some people told us they would like to receive a weekly rota of their planned care calls as these were not always available. However, people said they knew their support team well and mostly knew who would be coming to their home each day. People said the officed team always responded quickly when they called for advice or with a question about their support. Equally, office staff kept people informed of any changes or if staff were running late or were otherwise delayed. A person said, “Yes, if they are running late, I ring and they apologise and sort. They are generally on time, sometimes early.” Another told us, “Yes, I`ve rang them when I`m not feeling well and don’t want them to come or if I get a last minute hospital appointment. They communicate well with me.”

The manager made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result. Feedback was sought form people about the care they received. Regular questionnaires were sent to people and most people we spoke with had received and completed these documents. People were also encouraged to provide feedback at review meetings and each day they received care, if immediate feedback was called for. People also told us that their feedback was acknowledged and where possible acted on. A person said, “Yes, we have filled in a survey. They do everything well, I`m happy, any problems I e-mail and they sort it out. I would recommend them as they listen and communicate well.” A complaints policy was in place and was accessible to everyone. Few complaints had been made about the service and most people we spoke with had not had occasion to raise any concerns. People that had raised issues told us that they were about calls being late, but these were isolated incidents. We saw 3 complaints records that had been logged and investigated during the previous 12 months. These had been investigated in a timely way with a full response being given to complainants, all of whom acknowledged being happy with the outcome.

The manager made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. Staff supported people to access other health and social care professionals to meet their needs when appropriate. Most people were supported by relatives to make appointments but in some cases, they were supported by staff. Care calls were then re-arranged to accommodate appointments and visits for example, to hospital or the dentist. Professionals confirmed this relationship telling us they were called in to support in a timely way making sure that people received the best and most appropriate support at a time when they needed it.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this. Some people had social commitments or had cultural or religious needs that involved attending groups or services each week. These details were recorded in care plans and although staff did not usually directly support people attending these events, they would tailor the timings of care calls to allow people to keep their appointments. A person told us that they were able to get to meetings themselves but staff had offered to help them if needed.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. People and their loved ones told us that they had been given opportunities to discuss future care and support, including end of life care. Not everyone wanted to discuss this issue and that was respected and people’s view were recorded in care plans. Most people had Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) forms attached to care plans and a copy kept at their home. These were legal documents recording people’s wishes and gave people choice about resuscitation, should that become necessary in the future. Staff were not routinely trained in end-of-life care but could request this training if they wanted. No one was in receipt of end-of-life support at the time of our assessment.